Lightening the e-Trance

[LowLow]

My e-Trance 1 is weighing in at about 56lbs right now. Has anyone tried lightening the bike? If so, what did you do and how much weight did you end up saving?

There doesn't seem to be much room for reducing the weight more than a couple of pounds without sacrificing durability (e.g., I have Exo+ and DD tires and wouldn't want to replace those with less beefy tires).

 

[anfos]

Might sound stupid but the Energy Pak Plus (range extender) weighs 1.8kg, so removing the main battery and adding that for shorter rides?
Not sure if the motor is able to work only with the Energy Pak though.

 

[DrStupid]

I had the battery lock mechanism out of my trance x, and it weighed 12 ounces!

A decent design guy could certainly reduce weight, if your willingly to loose some convenience. My first thought was a bumper stop, in place of the lock mech, to locate the battery, with a strap to hold it in. I decided to just ride it instead.

The on-bike charging connectors can also be eleminated, this would only be a few ounces.

A custom battery with reduced capacity, could in theory save pounds depending on what range you need. Again, someone with skills ... building and rebuilding batteries, could manage.

 

[jeanmarc]

I'm thinking a good diet will easily shave off 5-10 lb the combined weight of me + bike

 

[DrStupid]

I rode a 2018 Focus Jam2 for a while. The bike also had long chain-stays like the Trance, but with a skinny fork, and a light battery. That bike made me believe that even a long chain-stay Trance could be quite nibble if made light enough.

I believe the Trance could loose 4 or 5 pounds, all of it up high, and at the front, if the battery capacity was brought in line with the Jam2 (378wh i think), and the battery lock mech ditched for a less convenient, bolt in method. These are not simple buy and bolt mods, like a carbon wheel set, but other than spending gobs of cash, I'm not sure what else would cut the amount of weight needed to make the Trance more playful.

 

[rod9301]

Yeah, brakes, and maybe remove the wheels too.

I have to believe the fixation with weight on e bikes comes from people that never rode one, or they just got a bike, and they remember trying to make regular bikes lighter(for the up)

My bike180,180 travel, weighs 52lbs and i never feel the weight on the uphill or downhill


I am faster on the down than with my Enduro, which weighed 31lbs.

 

[Pdoz]

Removing brakes are a quick and easy way to drop some weight.

After removing just the brakes alone you’d be surprised how much faster your bike is after those couple ounces are gone. Might even be scary fast!!!

Added bonus, you will loose several pounds of sh1t at the first steep hill.

I have to believe the fixation with weight on e bikes comes from people that never rode one, or they just got a bike, and they remember trying to make regular bikes lighter(for the up)

Have you ridden a lighter emtb?

I own a 2018 giant and a levo sl. About 5 kg difference between them and a completely different riding experience. Same average speed most days, the giant leavos the sl for dead up hills but on flowy x country of decent down hill the sl is amazing fun.

 

[Planemo]

I don't notice how big, chunky and heavy my Haibike is when I am riding it. It's only when I jump on my sons analogue 2017 Trance that I realise how much of a tank the Haibike is. Admittedly the Trance is a fair bit shorter and a lot less slack, but it's immediately noticeable how light it is, especially when negotiating low speed techy stuff.

Would still never give up the Haibike for it though